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The Great Commission: Evangelism and Responsibility

Explore the importance of evangelism and understanding the Great Commission. Discover how it is not just a suggestion or gift, but a responsibility for all believers. Learn the significance of proclamation, affirmation, prayer, and action in fulfilling the Great Commission.

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The Great Commission: Evangelism and Responsibility

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  1. εὐαγγελίζω By Joseph Peters

  2. The Great commission: P1 • Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV) 19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. • Mark 16:15 (KJV) 15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

  3. The Great commission: P2 • Luke 24:46-47 (KJV) 46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. • John 20:21 (KJV) 21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

  4. The Great commission: P3 • Acts 1:8 (KJV) 8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

  5. The Great Failure • From reading the book of Acts, it can be seen that the early church took this Commission very seriously. • Unfortunately, by 1792, people had lost interest in completing the Great Commission, and were even discouraging it. • William Carey, in response to the lack of interest in the Great Commission, wrote an article, The Inquiry, explaining why the Great Commission was still applicable. Ralph D. Winter & Steven C. Hawthorne (eds.), Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009). 312.

  6. How about now? • “only 5 percent of all Christians have ever led anybody to Christ” • “The George Barna Group did a survey in 2007 asking Catholic and Protestant believers if they felt a responsibility to share their faith with others. Eighty-one percent of Catholics said no, and 53 percent of Protestants said no. Barna also found that 75 percent of American adults who said that they were ‘born again’ could not even define the Great Commission” David Earley and David Wheeler. Everyday Series: Evangelism. (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2016). 35.

  7. Objective • Anyone can better understand evangelism and how to properly do it, • By understanding these three things.

  8. Rational

  9. Defining evangelism • It is not a suggestion, it is a Commission • It is not a gift but a responsibility • It is not just for some, it is for everyone • it is not just proclamation or just affirmation, but both • It is not just prayer, but also includes action • It is not just giving to foreign missions, but witnessing within ones community • Evangelism does not compete with discipleship, but is a part of discipleship.

  10. It is not a suggestion, it is a Commission • Christ did not request it “Please go” • Nor did he suggest it “You should go” • He commanded it “Go” “As His last words, they eloquently express His greatest passion and top priority” Dave Earley, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence. (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2013). 1.

  11. It is not just a gift but a responsibility • Per William Fay, “If one of your excuses for not sharing your faith is, ‘I don't have the gift of evangelism,’ then you need to examine Scripture. I don't have the overt gift of giving; it's not a supernatural gift God has given me. Yet I'm required to give. I don't have the supernatural gift of mercy. Yet I'm required to be merciful” William Fay, Share Jesus Without Fear. (Nashville: B and H Publishing Group, 1999). Chapter 3.

  12. It is not just for some, it is for everyone • Ephesians 4:11-12 (KJV) 11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

  13. it is not just proclamation or just affirmation, but both • If you don’t practice what you preach, then you are hypocritical and will likely turn people off to the Gospel. Per George Barna, only 2% of Christians reflect Christ like attitudes • However, if you don’t preach what you practice, then no one will understand why you practice it J. McDowell, The Last Christian Generation (Holiday, FL: Green Key Books, 2006), 18.

  14. It is not just prayer, but also includes action • “when God gives you a leading, it's not the time to just go home and pray about it. It's the time to respond, immediately. God has been preparing this moment before the world began. If he wanted you to wait, he'd have given you the idea tomorrow. If he wanted you to do it yesterday, the idea would have come the day before”. William Fay, Share Jesus Without Fear. (Nashville: B and H Publishing Group, 1999). Chapter 11.

  15. It is not just giving to foreign missions • Giving to foreign missions is great and is a part of the Great Commission, but the great Commission is not just for foreign mission, but also local evangelism • “..ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8b).

  16. Evangelism is discipleship • Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV) 19 Go ye therefore, and teach (μαθητεύω) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: • Μαθητεύω, transliterated mathēteuō, means, “become a pupil; transitive to disciple, i.e. enroll as scholar :- be disciple, instruct, teach” James Strong, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. (Nashville: Crusade Bible Publisher. 1890). Strong Number 3100.

  17. Stages Discipleship Evangelism

  18. Stages of Evangelism David Wheeler, Evangelism and the Church - Applying the Principles of the Harvest, Lynchburg: Liberty University, 2018. Presentation.

  19. Stages of Discipleship Jim Putman, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013). Chapter 3.

  20. Techniques • Pray first • Listen to God’s Spirit guiding (Luke 12:12) • Servant Evangelism (Mark 10:42-45) • Ask questions and listen, but stay focused (John 4) • Use Scripture • Provide opportunity to accept • Follow up

  21. Pray first • Don’t try to do it by your own power, this breeds a false sense of narcissism • Christ promised that the Holy Spirit would help (Luke 12:12)

  22. Listen to God’s Spirit guiding • Assume that God’s Spirit knows something that you do not • When you feel the Holy Spirit moving you, act immediately, someone's eternity might depend on it

  23. Servant Evangelism • Christ told his followers to be different from others in the world • They were meant to serve, just as Christ sacrificially served (Mark 10:42-45) • By serving others, you affirm what you are teaching, you eliminate misconceptions about Christians, and you open up opportunity for friendly gospel discussion

  24. Ask questions and listen, but stay focused • Even Jesus, who knew all things (John 16:30), asked thought provoking questions from people, and even took time to listen, but always stayed focused on the spiritual concerns (John 4). • Ask questions like: what do you believe? Where will you go after you die? Who is Jesus to you? If you were wrong, would you want to know?

  25. Use Scripture • Don’t forget, Scripture is God’s message to mankind and it a powerful resource • 2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

  26. Provide opportunities to accept • Telling people about the gospel is great, but unless you explain how to accept it, it is not very beneficial. • It is like telling people the building is on fire without telling them how to get out. • They might be able to figure it out later, but why not tell them then and there?

  27. Follow Up • Christ did not call us to make converts, he called us to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). • “Our more complete objective is to make disciples. We cannot have disciples without decisions, but if our approaches are designed only to count decisions, we may hinder the expansion of the glory of God” Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee. Family to Family, Families Making a Difference. (Lawrenceville: Jerry Pipes Productions, 1999). 25.

  28. Conclusion

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